Do Criminals Ever Pay Their Complete Debt to Society? ⋆ Politicrossing
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Do Criminals Ever Pay Their Complete Debt to Society?

If criminals were charged with the full cost of their actions then the justice system would be more sensitive to taxpayers, and provide a heartier form of justice to victims

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When someone commits a crime and serves time for his or her transgression, whether the crime is murder or as simple as vandalism, has the debt to society truly been paid? The notion prevails that serving time in jail or prison somehow repays society for the transgression. Is this the case, or even close to being so?

Let’s consider the crime of vandalism and not murder. In one town, four students vandalized the outside brick walls of the then newly constructed high school by writing racially-charged messages intended to hurt other students. The perpetrators were quickly apprehended and sentenced.

Assessing the True Costs

Jail time, community service, and paying to have the brickwork cleaned seem to satisfy most people’s sense of fairness. What are the true costs, however, of such a crime? In the case of the four young men who chose to vandalize the school building, we have the emotional pain of those to whom the messages were directed.

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If I were a student at this school, and one day I arrived to be greeted by a large message in spray paint that said I was not wanted there, would jail time, a few hours of community service, or removal of such paint restore me to my previous state?

Even if the messages were harmless, such as a school slogan, what about the cost of the law officers, school officials, town officials, town magistrates, and court officials? What about the judge involved in bringing the case to court, achieving judicial resolution, and carrying out the sentence?

Is their time collectively, including their per-hour costs, overtime, oil and gas for any vehicles, equipment, supplies, insurance benefits, and a host of real dollar costs, repaid by criminals?

Consider the costs the local jurisdiction pays in terms of constructing and maintaining facilities; cleaning linens; cooking meals; paying utility bills, including hot water, lights, and electricity to house such perpetrators during their jail time. How, and when, is that repaid? You guessed it – through tax dollars. Are such out-of-pocket costs to society ever paid by the perpetrators themselves?

Truth in Debt to Society

Consider the resulting costs to society when someone commits a robbery, armed robbery, grand larceny, fraud, assault, rape, or murder. For these, and other crimes against individuals, organizations, governments, and other social institutions, are the comprehensive and true costs to the victims of the crime and society at large ever paid by those who commit such acts in the first place?

If criminals were charged with the full cost of their actions – call it “truth in debt to society,” including all of their processing, court, and incarceration costs – added to the penalty they’re assessed by the judge, then the justice system would be more sensitive to taxpayers, and provide a heartier form of justice to victims and the criminals.

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Jeff Davidson is the world's only holder of the title "The Work-Life Balance Expert®" as awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is the premier thought leader on work-life balance, integration, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit www.BreathingSpace.com for more information on Jeff's keynote speeches and seminars, including: Managing the Pace with Grace® * Achieving Work-Life Balance™ * Managing Information and Communication Overload®



 
 
 

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Family

Student Drinking and Drug Abuse on Campus is Over the Top

What kind of society, de facto, condones such reckless behavior?

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The senseless loss of five university students in a house fire has stung my community. These were top students, accomplished individuals, and potential leaders.

Someone has got to ask the tough questions right now, while the pain of their loss is intense. In what kind of society do presumably the best and brightest engage in highly questionable activities? An all-night party? Started at what hour? Preceded by what? To end when?

How much alcohol flows? How many drugs are dispensed? Obtained from and by whom? Ingested by whom? How many cigarettes are lit? How many butts wantonly burn down to nothing? What else is lit and smoked?

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Foolish Behavior Condoned

The largest and toughest question of all behind these is what kind of society, de facto, condones such foolish and, in too many tragic instances, reckless behavior? Drunk students falling out of windows to their death, engaged in chugging contests until they vomit, on weeknights no less, walking the campus in a state of high lethargy? Being rushed to emergency wards?

Sure, install the proper sprinkler and alarm systems, but acknowledge the ruthless reality that confronts us. Colleges today are the stomping grounds for legions of students who drink and take drugs with abandon. They sit like zombies in morning classes if they can make it out of bed at all. Professors pretend that it is not happening. University administrators accept such behavior as ‘part of the times.’

Such phenomena are more wide sweeping than anyone cares to admit. They are testament to the abandonment of standards, the ‘everything is allowed’ overly permissive culture in which no student is safe.

Break the Silence

If the students who died were among the finest people that communities engender, what does their loss portend for others? And when will responsible adults break the silence about the utter absurdity with which too many students live their lives?

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Faith

Here’s Why Satan – and Democrats – are Obsessed with Sex

This is what the bible says about sex…

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Are you a conservative business person? Then check out the Red Referral Network and partner with Dinesh D’Souza by clicking the banner below:

PolitiCrossing Founder Chris Widener takes us through a scriptural understanding of exactly why Satan and Democrats are obsessed with sex and pushing the issue so hard on our country.

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Are you a conservative business person? Then check out the Red Referral Network and partner with Dinesh D’Souza by clicking the banner below:

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